From Deacon Ron Reno:
GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and
peace, that they may be cleansed of all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Collect for the Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity. Jesus is always teaching us. He is telling us to be strong in the Lord, trust Him and you will find pardon and peace. We read collects at every service because their importance to lead us in a short prayer and a petition to God. That request, an invocation and doxology (praise to God) that ends with Amen is a wonderful Anglican practice. Collects are good spiritual food for you to intellectually digest.
We had three adults with three children visit us last Saturday. It was a blessing to have them and the children to be amongst us. One visitor, Josh, was there the previous week and brought friends and family this week. God willing they will be back with us this week.
From “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas Kempis (15th Century)
With the deepest devotion and fervent love, with all affection and fervor of heart, I long to receive Thee, O Lord, even as many Saints and devout persons have desired Thee in communicating, who were altogether well pleasing to Thee by their sanctity of life, and dwelt in all ardent
devotion. O my God, Eternal Love, my whole Good, Happiness without measure, I long to receive Thee with the most vehement desire and being reverence, which any Saint ever had or could have.
We are having an amazing Fall; please get outdoors and see the seasonal change. It would be a good time to praise God and thank Him for all the good things in your life. God bless, Deacon
Fall is finally here in Nebraska. I love this time of year, for the cooler weather, the changes of color of the season and a great time to be outside. Please get outside as much as you can and embrace the beauty that God has given us. Stand under one of our golden trees; see the light filter itself through the leaves and take time to thank God for His beauty. In class we discussed looking for the Comet
Tsuchinshan-Atlas looking to the southwest after dusk, the beauty of Fall and discussed the Aurora that was visible in Nebraska last week. One of the main purposes of these discussions is to get these students to look up and see the beauty that surrounds them. It is important for all of us to take time to see God’s beauty and get away from the digital world that tries to impose itself upon us.
O ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
we have wiped away all prejudice: racism, sexism, bigotry of all shapes and sizes. These sentences came from one of Father Ponec’s last homilies. This homily was written for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity with a reference from Galatians (3:27). Please take time to read it. This homily was written by our priest in 2020 and is a must read. It shows the love of God this priest had and strength he had to write this homily. I remember Father was very sick at this time and I suspect he sensed his time on this earth was coming to an end. I can see through this homily that Father was fighting as a soldier of God to the end. This was a great man of God and many were blessed to know him.
O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We were blessed to have Father Andrews and Anneliese for our Michaelmas. As noted from our email last week, the Church took up this devotion to the archangel Michael from its earliest years. Both in the East and the West churches, we have embraced these God given origin stories.
fault. Therefore I beg Blessed Mary Ever-Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints and thee to pray to the Lord our God.